JACKSON WINS GOLD MEDAL AT TAKHTI CUP IN TEHRAN, IRAN;. DOUGLAS PLACES SECOND, CHARLES AND JONES PLACE FOURTH1992 Olympic champion Kevin Jackson (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) claimed a gold medal at 85 kg/187.25 lbs. at the Takhti Cup of freestyle wrestling in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 20.
Jackson defeated Ferydon Qambari of Iran in the gold medal finals, 1-0 in overtime. Although he did not score the required three points needed to win in international bouts, Jackson received the referee's decision because he scored the only point during the eight-minute match.
Jackson is a two-time World Champion, claiming gold medals in 1991 and 1995. He was an NCAA runner-up for Iowa State Univ. in 1987.
The U.S. Senior-level freestyle wrestling team is believed to be the first U.S. team in any sport to compete in Iran in almost 20 years.
The Takhti Cup is recognized as a Grand Prix event by FILA, the international wrestling federation, and featured a field of 17 nations this year. A sell-out crowd of over 12,000 fans attended the championship finals round.
1993 World Champion Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) won a silver medal at 97 kg/213.75 lbs. Douglas was defeated in the gold-medal finals by 1996 Olympic silver medalist Abbas Jadidi of Iran, 5-3 in overtime.
According to U.S. team officials, Jadidi raised Douglas' arm on the awards podium, and the crowd chanted Douglas' name during the awards ceremony.
Douglas has won four career World medals, and was seventh in the 1996 Olympic Games. Jadidi defeated Douglas in the finals of the 1993 World Championships in Toronto, Canada, but Douglas was later declared World Champion when Jadidi failed the doping test.
Two U.S. wrestlers placed fourth in their weight classes: 1992 Olympic silver medalist Zeke Jones (Chandler, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 54 kg/119 lbs. and Shawn Charles (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sunkist Kids) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Jones won two consolation bouts, with a forfeit over Mustafa Jokar of Iran and a pin of Qualeam Khakjear of Afghanistan at 3:55. Jones, bothered by a knee injury, lost by injury default to Reza Layeq of Iran in the bronze-medal bout. Jones was presented a silver medal, as the top placing non-Iranian athlete in his weight class.
Charles won three straight consolation bouts on Friday. He pinned Ramesh Kumar of India at 3:28, then defeated Iranian wrestlers Taqi Akarngjar, 3-2 and Moshen Babaie, 5-2. In the third-place match, Charles lost by referee's decision to Mostafa Alizadeh of Iran, 0-0 in overtime.
The other U.S. athlete, John Giura (New York, N.Y./Dave Schultz WC), did not compete on Friday, after being eliminated at 69 kg/152 lbs. on Thursday.
Even though they had only five athletes in the tournament, the U.S. placed fourth in the final team standings. Host Iran won the team title.
Coaching the U.S. team was 1996 U.S. Olympic head coach Joe Seay (Perry, Okla./Sunkist Kids). Seay led the U.S. freestyle team to five medals in the 1996 Olympics, the most of any nation. He also coached the U.S. to World team titles at the 1993 and 1995 Freestyle World Championships.
USA Wrestling President Larry Sciacchetano of Baton Rouge, La., who is also a member of the FILA Bureau, the international governing council, was on the tour. Mitch Hull of Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Wrestling's National Teams Director, was also with the team. The referee on the tour was Jim McCord of Alden, Iowa. The medical officer on the tour was Dr. Bruce Reider of Hinsdale, Ill.
TAKHTI CUP at Tehran, Iran, Feb. 19-20
Results of U.S. athletes on Feb. 20
54 kg/119 lbs. - Zeke Jones, Chandler, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 4th place, won by forfeit over Mustafa Jokar (Iran), pin Qualeam Khakjear (Afghanistan), 3:55; lost by injury default to Reza Layeq (Iran)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Shawn Charles, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), 4th place, won by fall over Ramesh Kumar (India), 3:28; dec. Taqi Akarngjar (Iran), 3-2; dec. Moshen Babaie (Iran), 5-2; lost by ref. dec. to Mostafa Alizadeh (Iran), 0-0, ot, 8:00
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Kevin Jackson, Gilbert, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 1st place, won by ref. dec. over Ferydon Qambari (Iran), 1-0, ot, 8:00
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 2nd place, lost dec. to Abbas Jadidi (Iran), 5-3, ot